Loading base



R. E. SPRING LOADING BASE June 23, 1953 Filed July 11, 1950 Robert. E. Spring 1 N V EN TOR. Q06; M

BYQ-w Patented June 23, 19 53 Robert E. Spring, Ashtabula, Ohio, assignor w Spring WoodPr'oducts, Inc.,--Geneva, Ohio", 21- i corporation ofOhio Application July 1-1, iota-sedative. 17331411 This invention comprises novel and useful imwhich the base is readily reversible to permit using. either surface of. the same as a supporting surface and the other: surface as a loading, surface.

tion is to provide an improved collapsible base as set forth in the preceding objects. in which the base may be formed from an inexpensiveand lightweight material, yet will be exceptionally sturdy and rigid for the purposes intended.

A still further important object of the invention'isto provide an improved loading base. in accordance with the foregoing objects and in which the folding; portions of the base may be pivotally secured together in an improved manner; in which the pivoting means mayxserve to reinforce and strengthen the adjacent ends of the folding members and enhance the life or wear of the'same; together with improved means for locking the base in adjustedposition.

These; together with various ancillary features and objects of the-invention, which will later become apparent, are attained-bythe present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way 'of example only' in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing by way of exemplification of the principles of this invention a suitable embodiment of supporting base in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base of Figure 1, the same being shown in an alternative adjusted position in full lines and being shown in its collapsed position in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the folding base of Figure 1, being taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of Figure 1 and illustrating in particular the lock means for securing the base in adjusted position; and

Yet another important object of the inven- 4 Claims. (01. 248L420)? I Figure 4 is a" group perspective view, parts being'broken away, showing the manner in which the various legs'of the base are secured to" their hinge niembers and in pivoted relation with respect to each' other;

Referring now more specifically to the ac oompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views;- it will be seen that the base indicated generally by the numeral 10 and Whichincorporates the principles of this invention'comprises a plurality of leg members; which arepreferably disposed in rigid, oppositely extending pairs, any desirednumber of pairs of legs being employed, two such pairs being indicated'in the drawings.

The legs of each pair are indicated respectively by the numerals l2 and, it being apparent that the legs I 2 extend on opposite sides of the central pivot point of the base and are disposed in side by side or parallel relationship with respect to 1 each other with their adjacent ends overlapping.

v Each ofthe legsis composed-of a pairof'parallel, vertically spaced and coextensive strips of any suitable material, comprising. an upper" strip I ii for'each of the legs anda lower strip [8.

As will be apparent, the strip it of the legs I2 and [4 are disposed in parallel relation with their adjacent ends overlapping,- the' strips l8 are similarly arranged; a The outer ends of the strips I 6 and" N! of each: leg member are connected to each other in' fixed and spacedrelation as by a spacer block 26 interposed therebetween. Suitable support pads 2 2 may beapplied to the appropriate surfaces" of" theouter' ends of: the leg members in order that the bottom: surfaces of the device may rest firmly upon a horizontalsupporting surface as. a-iioor or the like, while: the upper surface of thesame' which constitutes the supporting surface or load bearing surface-of the device shall'lbe disposed in apl'a'nelwhich isparallel to the plane upon which the device rests.

In order to pivotally. securethe legs together, to reinforce and strengthen the pivotal connection, to rigidly attach the oppositely disposed legs of each pair and their corresponding strips, a plurality of hinge plates are provided. As will be best apparent from Figure 4, each of these hinge plates comprises a fiat sheet or plate of metal or any suitable material as indicated at 24, this plate having a longitudinally extending medial rib or depression 26 which is adapted to be received between the adjacent sides of overlapping strips [6 or l8 of the overlapping legs l2 and M of each pair. The plate further includes depending side flanges 28, each of which respect to the first pair of legs.

in conjunction with the depending rib 26 constitutes a channel receiving one of the strips l6 or i8.

As will be apparent from Figure 4, four such plates are provided for the four legs, the topmost plate being engaged with the strips 16 and it of the legs [2 and M of one pair of legs; the adjacent plate being inverted with respect to the first plate'and engaging the strips 16 and [6 of the next pair of legs l2 and M which are disposed at right angles or any selected angle with The third and fourth plates are similarly arranged for engaging the strips 18 of the other four legs.

The upper pair of plates are'spaced from the lower pair of plates as by a spacer block 30 interposed therebetween, and all of the plates are rotatably mounted upon a pivot pin 32 which extends through suitable aligned apertures in the plates and which is threaded at its lower extremity as at 34 for the reception of a fastening and adjusting nut 36. As shown in Figure 3, this nut 36 may be conveniently accommodated in the recess formed on the bottom plate by the depressed central rib of the same.

At its upper end, the pivot pinor bolt 32 extends above the uppermost plate 24 and into the depression on the upper surface of the same formed by the depressed central rib 26, and is provided with an eye portion 38 to which is pivoted one end of a lever 40. This lever 40 is provided with a cam portion 42 adjacent its connection with the eye, so that when the lever is positioned as shown in Figures 1 and 3, this cam portion in conjunction with the nut 36 at the bottom of the pivot will serve to compress the collection of plates and strips therebetween and securely frictionally lock the same in selected adjusted or collapsed position. Obviously, by raising the lever 40 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the showing of Figure 3, the cam surface 42 will be retracted and thus release the frictional clamping action of the lever upon the plates whereby the various legs together with their attached hinge plates may be rotated about the pivot 42 into the desired adjusted position or positions.

From the foregoing, it is thought the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and materials shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus disclosed and described the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An adjustable, collapsible loading base comjacent ends, said plate being rotatably mounted on said pivot.

2. An adjustable, collapsible loading base comprising a plurality of legs, a pivot, means securing said legs for horizontal movement about said pivot, means for releasably locking said legs in selected adjusted position about said pivot to vary the shape and area of said base, said legs being rigidly secured to each other in pairs on opposite sides of said pivot and being in parallel relation with their 9 adjacent ends overlapping each other, said first means comprising a hinge plate for each pair of legs, said plate having channels receiving said adjacent ends, said plate being rotatably mounted on said pivot, a medial rib on said plate lying between and separating said adjacent ends.

3. An adjustable, collapsible loading base comprising a plurality of legs, a pivot, means securing said legs for horizontal movement about said pivot, means for releasably locking said legs in selected adjusted position about said pivot to vary the shape and area of said base, said legs being rigidly secured to each other in pairs on opposite sides of said pivot, and being in parallel relation with their adjacent ends overlapping each other, each leg comprising a pair of parallel upper and lower strips having their ends connected together in fixed, spaced relation, said first means comprising hinge'plates journaled on said pivot and each having parallel channels receiving a pair of strips therein,

4. The loading base of claim 1 in which said second means includes a lever pivoted upon said pivot and has a cam engaging an adjacent plate for compressing together said legs and plates.

ROBERT E. SPRING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 587,896 White Aug. 10, 1897 646,364 Donnelly Mar. 27, 1900 991,644 Quinlan May 9, 1911 1,151,291 Sampson Aug. 24, 1915 1,568,758 Malcolm Jan. 5, 1926 2,212,164 McMullen Aug. 20, 1940 

